Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has condemned the US government’s decision to cut recommended childhood vaccines, emphasising the importance of science-based policies amid concerns over potential disease outbreaks.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has sharply criticised the Trump administration’s move to scale back recommended childhood vaccinations in the United States, saying the shift is not aligned with decades of scientific evidence. Writing on X, the World Health Organisation chief said vaccination policy should be based on a rigorous, independent and transparent review of the best available science, not politics.
The order signed by Donald Trump on Monday cuts the number of diseases for which the federal government recommends routine vaccination for children from 18 to 11. It also makes immunisations for influenza, COVID-19, hepatitis A and B, rotavirus and meningitis subject to risk-based decisions or discussions between parents and doctors. The administration, which rolled out the policy alongside Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has ordered a broader review of the childhood vaccine schedule.
Tedros said the change ignored evidence on when children are most vulnerable, when vaccines provide the greatest protection, how many doses are needed and which shots can safely be given together. Delaying vaccines or spacing doses out unnecessarily, he warned, does not make immunisation safer and can leave children exposed.
He also argued that vaccines remain one of the most effective tools parents have to protect their children from deadly disease. Trump has linked his decision to rising autism rates and has questioned the safety of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, despite long-running research finding no causal connection between vaccines and autism. Public health experts fear the new policy could worsen outbreaks of preventable diseases in a year when the US has already recorded its highest number of measles cases in decades.
The criticism comes as the WHO faces wider strains in global health policy and financing. Tedros has previously warned that US moves to withdraw support from the organisation and pause foreign aid have had serious effects on programmes tackling polio, HIV and other threats. Separately, the WHO and UNICEF have reported that more than 14 million children worldwide did not receive even one vaccine dose in 2024, underscoring how fragile immunisation gains remain.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
